London -- Part III: Christmas Eve

The morning of Monday, Christmas Eve Day, most of the group set out for Borough Market (walking distance from our hotel) to shop for food for our Christmas day evening meal.   I stayed in the hotel, but was fortunate to have a chance to go there later in the trip.   We stopped at this little shop for "pie and mash" before heading off to

the Old Vic Theatre

where we had tickets for the matinee of "Kiss me, Kate."

Here are a few shots of the interior, taken before the ushers informed me that photos were not allowed.  I didn't know... really...

The quote on the above poster says it all.  Everything about the show was superb -- not a weak link anywhere.  Costumes, sets, choreography, singing, acting, lighting!

Afterward, we met some friends of BT for a stroll, enjoying the beautiful lights wherever we went.  Richard is a tour guide, who BT met some time ago.  He had his lovely wife, Naomi, and their university-age son with him. 

For my quilter friends: several shots of Liberty:

We made our way to Carnaby Street -- the original "hot spot" of style in the "Swingin' Sixties", when the British Invasion had taken the States and all eyes looked across the pond to London. 

The lights of Carnaby Street celebrated the Rolling Stones, with the theme "Carnaby Christmas -- It's Only Rock 'n Roll".

If you looked up, you could see Mr. Shakespeare looking down upon the revelry.

On Bond Street, we found all the high-end shops.  Cartier was wrapped in a huge red bow and bathed in red light.

The windows of Ralph Lauren were drop-dead gorgeous!

But I thought this unnamed jewelry store's window was just as lovely, even without seasonal adornment.  Looks sort of Art Deco-ish to me.

Fortunately for those of us who were all-but-starving, we found a pub that served food and settled in for a few pints and some great conversation!

Our original plans had been to return to the hotel, change clothes and go to a late service at Southwark Cathedral, but when in Rome London...  Instead, we took advantage of the opportunity to make new friends and enjoyed our time together.

Years ago, I decided that cooking both Christmas Day and Christmas Eve was too much work and decreed that, henceforth, the new family tradition would be to have take-out Chinese food for Christmas Eve dinner. 

So we walked back to the Tube through Chinatown, and got our "takeaway" for a midnight dinner.  

What a memorable Christmas Eve!   .... And to all a good night.